Grant Wahl is an American sports journalist and soccer analyst for CBS Sports, who is best known for having been a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a correspondent for Fox Sports. He is also the author of the book The Beckham Experiment (2009).[1]
Grant Wahl | |
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Born | Mission, Kansas, United States |
Occupation | Writer |
Alma mater | Princeton University |
Genre | Sports journalism |
Notable works | The Beckham Experiment |
Years active | 1996–present |
Spouse | Celine Gounder |
Website | |
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Wahl was born in Mission, Kansas. During his first year at Princeton University, he covered the Princeton Tigers men's soccer team, then coached by Bob Bradley, who would go on to manage Major League Soccer teams and the United States national team. Bradley provided Wahl with an opportunity to study abroad in Argentina, spending time with Boca Juniors, before returning to the United States for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Wahl cites his experiences with Bradley as a catalyst for his love of the sport.[2]
In 1996, Wahl began his career working with the Miami Herald as an intern. From there, he joined Sports Illustrated in November 1996, covering college basketball as well as soccer.[3]
In his career, Wahl has reported on 12 NCAA basketball tournaments,[citation needed] eight World Cups, and four Olympic games.[3]
Wahl first gained critical acclaim for his cover story "Where's Daddy?" (1998), which documented the growing number of illegitimate children born to professional athletes.[citation needed] Since then, he has written numerous cover stories and profiles on athletes. In addition, Wahl has received four Magazine Story of the Year awards given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.[4]
In October 2000, Wahl was promoted to the position of senior writer at Sports Illustrated. Wahl mostly covers soccer for both the magazine and SI.com.[3]
In his first book, The Beckham Experiment (2009), Wahl focused on the move of David Beckham to the LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer and his impact on the league. It became a New York Times Best Seller.[5]
In October 2009, while covering the fourth round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, Wahl was robbed of his phone and wallet at gunpoint in broad daylight in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; earlier in the day, he had interviewed interim Honduran president Roberto Micheletti, who later apologized to Wahl over the incident.[6][7]
In February 2011, Wahl announced a possible bid to become President of FIFA in the upcoming election to unseat incumbent Sepp Blatter.[8][9] He pulled out before the official deadline, however, after failing to earn an endorsement from a football association (at least one was required).[10] As a result of Wahl's bid, FIFA amended its presidential nomination process to require the endorsement of at least five associations.[11][12]
In October 2012, Wahl joined FOX Sports after having participated in the network's coverage of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament earlier that year.[13]
In 2013, SI launched their soccer section, named "Planet Fútbol", with Wahl at the helm.[14]
On April 10, 2020, Wahl was fired from Sports Illustrated after criticizing James Heckman, CEO of the magazine's publisher Maven, for his handling of pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic. In response, Heckman criticized both Wahl's work and not wanting to volunteer for a permanent pay cut.[15]
On October 5, 2021, Wahl joined CBS Sports, where he became an analyst for its coverage of CONCACAF soccer matches, as well as an editorial consultant for soccer documentaries to air on Paramount+.[16]
Wahl attended Shawnee Mission East High School. He is an Eagle Scout.[17][18]
Wahl went on to study at Princeton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Politics in 1996.[19]
Wahl is married to Celine Gounder, an American medical doctor and medical journalist who specializes in infectious diseases and global health.[19]
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